Beta Blockers and CBD Oil Interaction

Beta blockers reduce blood pressure, and so does CBD oil. Combining the two could be beneficial or dangerous depending on your condition.

Alone, CBD oil has been shown to lower blood pressure, help manage anxiety, and control inflammation, so it’s no wonder people with heart conditions are trying to find a way to combine CBD oil with their existing medications, like beta blockers.

If you’re interested in experiencing the benefits of this cannabinoid but aren’t sure if CBD oil interacts with beta blockers, here you’ll find an overview of what you need to know.

But before getting started, keep in mind the information on this page is meant to serve as an educational tool and should not be substituted for medical advice. Always speak to your doctor before trying CBD oil.

How Does CBD Oil Interact with Beta Blockers?

Like beta blockers, CBD oil lowers blood pressure and improves health in patients whose heart is under strain due to lifestyle factors, medical complications, or both. CBD oil has also been shown to help reduce anxiety, another condition doctors will often prescribe beta blockers for.

In fact, many people use CBD oil instead of beta blockers because it produces similar benefits at a lower cost and relatively few side effects. However, if you are already using beta blockers for conditions like hypertension or anxiety and want to explore adding CBD oil into your routine, it’s important to understand how they interact with each other within your body.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is widely considered to be a safe, well-tolerated compound with very few unintended effects. However, because of its inhibition of the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system in the liver, it should be used cautiously if you take any medication that uses this pathway, such as beta blockers.

The cytochrome P-450 enzyme system breaks down toxins, including certain medications, into substances the body can process. CBD oil, along with other natural compounds like grapefruit, has been shown to slow down the metabolic processes of this pathway.

When the P-450 pathway is occupied with something like CBD, your body could take longer to process medication. So, if you’re taking beta blockers and CBD oil, it could result in a higher amount of beta blockers’ active ingredient present and unmetabolized your body for a longer period of time. This then increases the likelihood that you’d experience the side effects of the medication.

Because CBD oil can inhibit your body’s ability to break down beta blockers, it’s crucial you speak to your doctor before combining the two.

Side Effects of Combining CBD Oil and Beta Blockers

Beta blockers are designed to reduce your heart rate by slowing or preventing the release of the stress hormone adrenaline. When effective, beta blockers lower blood pressure and relieve stress on the heart. CBD oil has also been shown to lower blood pressure and could amplify the effects of the beta blockers.

If you take the two together, there’s a chance your blood pressure could drop too much, which may cause you to feel tired, lethargic, dizzy, and weak. In extreme cases, you could risk fainting or even going into shock, which is considered a medical emergency.

With two compounds reducing blood pressure, dosages may need to be adjusted for both the beta blockers and CBD oil to find the right balance, if you decide to move forward with combining the two.

CBD Oil for Common Beta Blocker Side Effects

The most common side effects reported amongst beta blocker users are nausea and fatigue, and while CBD oil can potentiate the likelihood of you experiencing these effects, it may also relieve them.

CBD oil has been shown to reduce the experience of nausea across a range of health conditions, from general motion sickness to chemotherapy-induced nausea. Many people also anecdotally report feelings of nausea are negated by the effects of CBD oil. If you feel nauseous after taking your beta blockers, CBD oil may be able to help.

Cannabidiol is also being researched for its effect on wakefulness. Several studies have found CBD taken in smaller doses increases wakefulness, alleviating daytime sleepiness caused by factors like sleep apnea, substance abuse, or certain medications. If you’re experiencing drowsiness or fatigue as a result of your beta blockers, CBD oil in small doses could help.

How to Safely Use CBD Oil with Beta Blockers

When it comes to safely using CBD oil and beta blockers, slow and steady is the way to go. First and foremost consult with your primary physician. You can also speak to a naturopathic doctor who specializes in CBD-based medical treatments.

Once you have the “all clear” from your doctor, start by taking a lower dosage of CBD oil than what is suggested on your product’s information leaflet. This will reduce the risk of experiencing a sudden drop in blood pressure. If you aren’t seeing the beneficial effects of CBD you were expecting, and still feel your blood pressure is at a healthy level, you can gradually increase your dosage. Again, slow and steady wins the race.

Being mindful of how you feel after taking CBD oil with beta blockers will be crucial to ensuring you’re getting desired results in the safest way possible. Logging your physical and cognitive energy levels on a scale of 1-10 with descriptions may be helpful after taking cannabidiol oil with your beta blockers. If you start to notice your ratings are dropping, you should either reduce your CBD dosage or stop taking it entirely.

Many people find that as their body begins to build a tolerance to CBD oil, they are in a position to phase out the use of beta blockers. You may be able to accomplish this by carefully lowering your beta blocker dosage as you increase your CBD oil dosage. This should, of course, be done under the supervision and guidance of your doctor.

Best CBD Oils to Use with Beta blockers

All CBD oil products are not created equal, and finding the best CBD oil to use with beta blockers requires doing your due diligence. While this may seem an overwhelming prospect, it really isn’t so difficult.

First, decide which method you’d prefer to use for taking CBD oil. There are a variety of options including capsules, tinctures, edibles, transdermal patches, and vapes. Most people who are new to CBD oil tend to opt for capsules for the familiarity, convenience, and dose consistency. But keep in mind that this method, along with CBD edibles, releases the cannabidiol into the body via the digestive system, and some potency is lost in the process. A tincture, meanwhile, comes in dropper form and when applied under the tongue absorbs directly into the bloodstream. Vapes will provide you the fastest-acting but shortest-lasting effects of CBD, and are idea for on-the-go doses. Transdermal patches will provide you with the longest lasting distribution of CBD, however, because it’s a relatively large does over a long period of time, you will want to be careful about combining this method with beta blockers.

Once you’ve settled on a method, do your research. Choose a product which has been organically-grown and third-party laboratory tested. This ensures that your CBD oil is free from harmful pesticides and that its content has been tested without bias. Read any posted Certificates of Analysis to ensure the listed potency of the product is correct, and so you know exactly what is in the final product. If a brand does not post a Certificate of Analysis for the product you’re interested in, ask to see it. If they do not provide one, you know to shop elsewhere.